Print-handling device



Feb. S, 1949. L, p MARTINE( 529461,33?)

PRINT-HANDLING DEVICE Filed Aug 50. 1945 i. VEN TOR. @ff/Af Hwa 'f77/VA Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE PRINT-HANDLING DEVICE Louis Phillip Martinek, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 30, 1945, Serial No. 613,564

4 Claims.

1 v The invention relates to improvements in printhandling devices and particularly to articles of this character for lifting wet photographic prints or enlargements from acid, alkaline, and poison' ous solutions during course of development.

The purposes of the invention are to provide a simple device for the purposes stated which may be economically manufactured and conveniently and reliably operated, is non-injurious to the prints handled, will protect the solutions which i are used for the development and also protect the hands of the operator.

The improved print-handling device is a wire formation and two forms thereof are shown in the accompanying drawing and described in detail hereinafter.

In the embodiments of the improved print-handling device shown in the accompanying drawing both forms of the wire formation are shown as comprising two complementary half-formations which are secured together, one of the halfformations forming an inner part of a paddle portion of the device and also a part of the handle, andthe other half-formation forming an outer part of the paddle portion and also a part of the handle, the handle portion of the inner part also 'being bent to form a trigger-like finger grip and, in one of the two forms of the device shown, being bent also to provide a spring-like print-retaining finger.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means illustrating the instant improvements in print-handling devices, such disclosed means constituting, however, only two of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of print-handling device illustrating the instant improvements, the view also showing how a print is snared and lifted by the paddle portion of the device; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second form of said improved print-handling device.

As above stated, the improved print-handling device is a wire formation and the wire, which is non-corrodible by the solutions utilized for developing photographic prints, is bent so as to provide certain necessary parts of the complete device, such as a paddle serving as a scoop, a handle, and a trigger-like finger grip. The wire is also bent to form notched portions which engage the peripheral rim of the solution receptacle and prevent the device from slipping into the receptacle. The wire which is bent to produce one form of the device, viz., that shown in Figure l, is also bent to form a spring-like print-retaining finger. Both forms of the device can snare and lift a print by its paddle portion and the form shown in Figure 1 can also perform these functions by means of the spring-like print-retaining finger.

The forms of the device shown in the accompanying drawing are made from two wires which are, broadly speaking, an inner wire and an outer wire. The two wires are bent to form an elliptical-appearing paddle portion and the inner wire is continued to provide a part of the handle including the trigger-like finger grip, and the outer wire is continued to form a major part of the handle and is also formed with non-slipping notches for holding the device on the peripheral rim of the solution tank. In the form of the device shown in Figure 1 the inner wire is also continued to form a print-retaining spring-like finger.

The paddle portions of the two forms of the device are similar and the inner wire section thereof consists of two opposed members curved to form a comparatively wide elliptical-shaped opening therebetween, and the outer wire section consists also of two opposed members curved to form an elliptical-shaped opening therebetween, the width of the opening between each outer member and the adjacent inner member being relatively narrow as compared with the width of the opening between the opposed inner members.

Insofar as the snaring of a print by the paddle portion of the device is concerned, so as to lift the print from a solution receptacle, both forms of the device have similar paddle portions and the wires of the latter are passed by a corner of the print in the solution so as to engage the wet print in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 1, ie., one of the outer paddle wires is passed under the print corner and another paddle wire is passed over said print corner whereby the wet print clings to the paddle, as illustrated in Figure 1, and can be lifted from the solution.

Oftentimes, it is desirable to lift the print from the solution in a manner other than thatjust described relative to the use of the paddle wires therefor and, for this purpose, supplemental means are provided, such as shown in Figure 1, these means being similar, in an improved wire formation, to those shown in my' Patent No. 2,381,765, and consisting of a spring-like finger which is formed at its free end with a printengaging tong, which free finger end is normally slightly spaced from the device area where the paddle portion merges in curved formation with 3 the handle portion so that the paddle can be slipped under the edge of the print until a portion of the print lies under the tong nger when the spring finger can be compressed by the operators thumb to cause the tong to grip the print against the adjacent portion of the device.

Referring to the annexed drawing, and parn ticularly referring rst to the form of the device shown in Figure 1, the wire formation has an elliptical-shaped skeletonized paddle portion I consisting of two opposed outer inwardly concave wire sections 9 and I0 which are the ends of the wire 3 of which this part of the paddle is coinprised and have overlapping terminals S1 and Il. The central portion of another wire 4 is bent to form wire sections I4 and I5 which are opposed and are inwardly concave and are disposed interiorly of the respective wire sections 9 and It, ybeing respectively spaced from the latter so as to form elongated comparatively narow curved openings I1 therebetween, the spacing between the inner wire sections Ill and I5 being relatively wide as compared with the width of the openings I'J so as to form an elliptical-shaped comparatively wide opening I8.

The joint or nose I6 of the wire sections ifi and I5 engages the terminal l U1 of the outer wire VSection I and this nose I6 and the wire terminals 91 and Il1 are attened out into a chisellike formation I9 and secured together by a weld 20.

The two outer wire sections 9 and ill are continued rearwardly in spaced parallel relation to form a part 61 of the handle portion 6, having an upper and inner looped end I2, the wire of this part 61 of the handle member 5 'being bent to form a plurality of downwardly-extending notches I substantially midway its length.

The inner wire sections I4 and I5 are continued rearwardly in close parallel relation, and interiorly of and somewhat above the handle wire parts of the outer wire sections to a point slightly rearwardly of the notches 'l where they are bent to form a downwardly projecting trigger-like linger grip 8. These rearwardly extended parts of the inner Wire sections I4 and I5 also form a part 62 of the handle portion 6 of the device. From the finger grip 8 the inner wire sections and l5 are upwardly extended through the loop I2 formed by the handle wire parts of the outer wire sections 9 and I0, and then bent forwardly and continued above and longitudinally of the handle 6 to a point adjacent and above the center of the inner end of the paddle portion I where they are bent sharply downwardly and terminate slightly above this rear end of the paddle portion I. These last-mentioned portions of the inner Wire sections I4 and I5 are the two ends thereof and these ends are passed through'a section Il of rubber tube which secures them together, the terminal portions I 41 and |51 being slightly bent upwardly Iinto a hook formation. The forwardlyextending lengths of the wire sections il and I5, above the handle 6, form a spring-like finger which can be depressed by the operators thumb to cause `the tube section II to engage a print which has been underpassed by the paddle l and is rested thereon, whereby the print can be lifted from the solution. Intermediate its ends the spring-like finger 5 is bent downwardly and upwardly to form a second trigger-like finger i3 which serves, if desired, to depress the tube section II and cause it to engage and hold a print rested on the paddle I.

vThe form of the device shown in Figure 2 also` has a skeletonized paddle portion 2 comprised of opposed inwardly concave outer wire sections 2i and 22 of a wire 31 and opposed inwardly concave inner wire sections 23 and 24 of a wire l1 5 forming elongated comparatively narrow curved openings 25 and an `elliptical-shaped comparatively wide central opening 26. The terminals 2l1 and 221 ofthe outer wire sections 2l and 22 overlap and are formed into a chisel-like end 21 with the central nose 28 oi the inner wires 23 and 2-, the whole being secured together by a weld 2.1i, similarly to the structure shown in Figure l. The outer paddle wire sections ZI and 22 are continued rearwardly in spaced relation to form Ythe handle portion 3Q, having the inner and upperlooped end 3d, an intermediate part of rwhich handle portion 3% is bent to form the nonslipping notches 3l. Also, similarly to the formation shown lin Figure l, the inner paddle wire sections 23 and 2li arel continued rearwardly in close parallel relation, and within andv slightly above the wire sections of the handle portionc, to a point beyond the notches 3l tofeform `a handle portion 35, and thence downwardly to form the trigger-like linger 32. However, the wire forming the inner part of the structure shown in Figure 2 ends with the -formation of the trigger-like linger S2, this iinger ft2 being formed of the ends of the inner wire Whiphare secured together by a weld 33. In other words, the form of the device shown in Figure l2 is designed for snaring the wetprint and lifting it out of the solution tank by the use of the spaced paddle wire sectionskZI, 22, 23 and 24 only, and

:if is not made with the additionalprint-snaring V the l springflike and lifting means provided by A A finger 5 forming part of the device shown in Figure 1.

The two outer elongated comparatively nar,- row openings y25 and the central comparatively wide elliptical openingZ of the skeletonized paddle 2, Figure 42, aord considerablev latitude for the snaring and lifting of prints of different sizes and contours and positioned differently in the solution tank relative to the position-of the operator who is manipulating the printfhandling device. Likewise, the openings il'Y andl I Ytfofth'e form of the device shown in Figure l provide considerable manipulative latitude inasmuclras the skeletonized paddle portions of -bot'htde forms of device, Figures 1 and 2, are similar.'y The advantages of the improved device, insofar as protection of the solutions and thecperator are concerned, are especially important.'

The wire of which t-her improved devi-cel is made is non-corrodible by the chemicals. utilized, does not absorb thevchemicals similarly to the human hand, and can be morel `easily cleaned. The solutions are kept chemically pure, thus last-1 ing longer and resulting in better development, which increases production at a decrease in cost.

The manipulation of prints by human hands damages valuable negatives and prcduces'stain marks and finger prints thereon. Such manipulation also produces stains on paper due .to handling with warm hands, especially in warm weather. The instant improved printrhandiirig device eliminates these difficulties.

The use of the improved device also speedsup production for another reason, and that is, Vwhen one operator is performing the work, the necesf sary frequent washing Iand drying of hands between developing and printing results is conf siderable loss of time.

A .Safety feature. incident t0 the weer .the

improved device is also very important. Oftentimes, the putting of the operators hands into the various solutions results in blood poisoning from metol, acids, etc. This is particularly true when the operators hands are chapped or cracked by reason of frequent Washing thereof and repeated immersion in the solutions.

What I claim is:

1. A print-handling device comprising a wire formation Iconsisting of two wires, each of which is bent to form a forward symmetrical paddle part of spaced wire sections, said wire sections of one wire lying exteriorly of and spaced from the wire sections of the other wire, all of said wire sections forming a skeletonized paddle, the inner Wire sections being continued rearwardly to form a handle part and then bent s downwardly and upwardly to form a triggerlike finger grip and thence continued forwardly in substantially parallel relation with and slightly above said handle partvv to form a springlike finger, which finger terminates in a printgripping tong adjacent the rear end of the skeletonized paddle, the ends of said inner wire sections being secured together in said tong area, the outer wire sections also being continued rearwardly to form a handle part adjacent the handle part of the inner wire sections, the handle part of the outer wire sections terminating in an extended looped rear end thereof, the inner and outer wire sections being secured together in a chisel-like formation at the forward end of the skeletonized paddle.

2. A print-handling device comprising a wire formation consisting of two wires, each of which is bent to form a forward symmetrical paddle part of spaced wire sections, said wire sections of one wire lying exteriorly of and spaced from the wire sections of the other wire, all of said wire sections forming a skeletonized paddle, the inner wire sections being continued rearwardly to form a handle part and then bent downwardly and upwardly to form a trigger-like finger grip and thence continued forwardly above said handle part to form a spring-like nger, the finger intermediate its ends being bent downwardly and upwardly t'o form a second trigger-like finger grip, means enclosing the forward terminals of the inner wire sections and forming a print-gripping tong adjacent the rear end of the skeletonized paddle, the outer wire sections also being continued rearwardly to form a handle part adjacent the handle part of the inner wire sections, the handle part of the outer wire sections terminating in an extended looped rear end thereof, the inner and outer wire sections being secured together in a 6 chisel-like formation at the forward end of the skeletonized paddle.

3. A print-handling device comprising a wire formation consisting of two wires, each of which is bent to form an end symmetrical paddle part of spaced wire sections, all of said wire sections being relatively laterally disposed and lying substantially in the same plane to form a skeletonized paddle, one wire being continued rearwardly from the paddle to form a handle part and then bent downwardly to form a projecting trigger-like finger grip, the other Wire also being continued rearwardly from the paddle to :form a handle part closely-grouped with the nist-mentioned handle part and thence continued rearwardly thereof to form a looped handle part, the several wire sections being secured together' in a chisel-like formation at the `forward end of the skeletonized paddle.

4. A print-handling device lcomprising a Wire formation consisting of inner and outer wires, each of which is bent to form an end symmetrical paddle part of spaced wire sections, all of said wire sections being relatively laterally disposed and lying substantially in the same plane to form a skeletonized paddle, the inner wire being continued rearwardly from its paddle sections to form a handle vpart and then bent downwardly to form a projecting trigger-like finger grip, the outer wire also being continued rearwardly from its paddle sections to form a handle part closely adjacent the first-mentioned handle part and thence continued rearwardly to form a closed looped handle terminal, the

y inner and outer wire sections being secured together in a chisel-like formation at the forward end of the skeletonized paddle.

LOUIS PHILLIP MARTINEK.

REFERENCES CITED The -following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 306,635 Needham Oct. 14, 1884 826,921 Russell Sept. 22, 1885 773,358 Weed Oct. 25, 1904 2,238,358 Bassin Apr. 15, 1941 2,381,765 Martinek Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,147 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1861 330,727 France July 7, 1903 586,668 France Sept. 27, 1924 590,803 France Mar. 26, 1925 

